Nostalgia in the Port Lands
Welcome to the Port Lands’ Historical Preservation Centre
Welcome to the Port Lands’ Historical Preservation Centre, my home.
You can read our story on the plaques in the Hearn but I will tell you how I saw it unfold… Feel free to walk
around and experience this beautiful place for yourself afterwards. My home is yours!
Let’s go back in time… It all started in 2019, when I saw them march ...to City Hall with dollar signs in their eyes. They proposed a
new vision for the City and plopped their glass towers onto a model. I heard the public applaud them in awe all the way from here.
“Prime real estate”, they said. “You will spend 50 billion dollars on heating and cleaning”, I said. “Each tower will have a prime view
onto another tower”, I shouted but no one heard me.
The City was proud, and residents smiled as they walked down wind tunnels and shaded alleys. Glass towers were erected everyday. I
and watched history be replaced by glass and steel and waited for them to realize their mistake… My neighbors and I stood in solidarity,
ready to show them our beauty if they dared tear us down.
Fast forward to 2050, the residents were finally unhappy enough to do something. They realized that they could no longer reference Toronto’s history
nor its industrial past. Furious, their voices resonated within the glass towers and they planned a protest. I remember it like it was yesterday. Monday,
September 21st, 2050, they gathered with signs and urged for the preservation of Toronto’s heritage buildings. “Save the brick factory, glass makes us unhappy!”.
Most historical buildings were torn down or far too altered to salvage but my neighbours and I were finally going to be admired.
After lengthy discussions at City Hall, they decided to preserve us and design elevated pathways to make our story accessible and share it with future generations.
The construction began by sorting through the rubble of masonry buildings that were torn down. They used bricks and steel to build our new infrastructure. I watched them
connect my neighbours and create pathways through our amazing landscapes. We became places of discovery!
And now, here we are! Fresh air fills your lungs and the wind brushes over the Sand Dunes. Children run up and down the hills and challenge each other to spot the biggest boat.
One of the longest pathways bridges over Gravel Mountains and will give you unique views of Lake Ontario. During winter, you can ski on the elevated pathways! You can also
walk on the Commissioner’s Pathway to warm up and read up on our history. When the snow will melt, the water levels will rise but don’t worry, the siren will sound, and we
have a Flood Restauration Unit to inspect all structures and drain the water… no worries here! For now, let’s enjoy this winter wonderland!
Also, just so you know… summer here is superb. Tommy Thompson promenade connects our industrial ruins to the Tommy Thompson park. This is the top field trip
destination in the city! Kids get to learn about Toronto’s history and experience it first hand, which they never get to do from the glass towers. You should
come back next May when the Industrial Gardens are blooming. They made hills with the excavated soil from the construction. They are stunning and impressive.
You can read more about the garden at the Visitor Control Centre on Cherry Street. Some athletes bike up the hills but if you’re looking for a leisurely bike ride,
check out the scenic bike path through the factories. Both locals and tourists absolutely love it and I hope you will too.
Alright, enough talking for now. It was lovely to meet you and share my story with you! I can’t begin to tell you how great it feels to show everyone that
I was never the broken one.
